


rubber duck debugging

by imposterhuman



Series: pepperony drabbles [10]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awesome Pepper Potts, Business Trips, F/M, No Angst, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark Friendship, Pepperony - Freeform, Presents, Rubber Ducks, Soft Tony, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, only fluff, pepper is tonys sugar mommy just saying, soft pepper, tired pepper potts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-07 09:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19206355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imposterhuman/pseuds/imposterhuman
Summary: “It’s an Iron Duck,” Pepper explained with a yawn. “I thought it would help you with your…” she waved a hand and closed her eyes.“Coding,” Tony finished, stifling laughter. He knew he was smiling like a loon, but he couldn’t help it. “It will. Thanks, Pep.”





	rubber duck debugging

**Author's Note:**

> for anon on tumblr, who wanted pepperony fluff
> 
> word: gifts
> 
> enjoy!

“Pep!” Tony greeted when Pepper walked through the doors. It had been too long since he’d seen his partner, with her overseas bossing people that weren’t him around. “How was the trip?”

 

“Long,” she answered, coming to the sofa where he was sitting and plopping down next to him. “How can people be so stupid?”

 

Tony chuckled, running a hand through her messy hair. “I’ve been asking that question my whole life, hon.”

 

“And have you answered it yet?”

 

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

 

“You know what I think?” she grumbled, shifting around so that she could shove her feet in his lap. “I think that you should rub my feet before I resign as CEO and make you deal with the idiots.”

 

“As you wish, oh darling CEO mine,” he said, carefully unstrapping her heels and rubbing her aching feet. 

 

She groaned, throwing an arm over her eyes. “If you ever stop doing that, I’ll fire you,” she slurred, exhausted. “Like, I’ll super fire you. You’ll be destitute. It won’t be fun.”

 

“Okay, babe,” he smiled, heart bursting with fondness. He had missed Pepper. “Who will make you pasta if you fire me?”

 

“I will rehire you as my personal chef,” she said generously. “Like the mouse from Ratatouille.”

 

“I think he was a rat, dear.”

 

“ _ Fired _ ,” Pepper hissed. Her eyes were half-lidded, her entire body lax and loose. 

 

“Get some rest, Pep,” said Tony, reaching for a blanket to drape over her. “You can fire me in the morning.”

 

She started to doze off, but jerked awake a minute later. “Wait,” she said, visibly struggling for words. “I gotta give you something.”

 

“In the morning,” Tony promised, soothing her. 

 

She shot him a glare. “You’re going to distract me and we’ll both forget,” she said, shaking off the tiredness and pointing towards her suitcase. “Bring me that?”

 

“You pack way too much stuff,” Tony grumbled, lifting the heavy bag. 

 

“Unlike you, I like to be prepared,” she huffed, rolling her eyes. 

 

“Ah, yes,” he said dryly. He unzipped her suitcase and raised an eyebrow at the amount of clothes. “You definitely needed twenty skirts for a twelve day trip.”

 

“Just because you have no sense of style doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t put care into our outfits.”

 

Tony looked offended. “I’ll have you know that I was voted Best Dressed at our last gala.”

 

“Jim and I rigged it so you wouldn’t get sad,” Pepper teased.

 

“This is a betrayal of the highest order, Pep,” Tony said gravely. “I’m not sure I can ever forgive you.”

 

Pepper kissed him lightly. “Would a present help?”

 

Not many people knew it, but Tony was an absolute softie. He positively melted when shown genuine affection. The soft smile on his face whenever she showed him how much she loved him was her favorite expression, if she was being honest. Gifts, small, heartfelt ones, were just one of the ways she tried to get that smile out of him.

 

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” he protested. “I’m a billionaire, Pep.”

 

“Shut up,” she flicked his nose. “It’s in the red bag, you can’t miss it.”

 

Tony retrieved it and handed it to her. “Nice color choice,” he said. “It’s a great way to show support for your favorite Avenger.”

 

“You’re right,” Pepper mused, examining the bag. “It is a perfect match for Natasha’s hair.”

 

“Betrayal!” Tony squawked. “And after I rubbed your feet, too. Some people have no shame.”

 

She rolled her eyes. “Open your present so I can go back to sleep.”

 

“Bossy, bossy,” Tony sat down next to her and reached into the bag. From it, he drew an Iron Man themed rubber duck. 

 

“It’s an Iron Duck,” Pepper explained with a yawn. “I thought it would help you with your…” she waved a hand and closed her eyes.

 

“Coding,” Tony finished, stifling laughter. He knew he was smiling like a loon, but he couldn’t help it. “It will. Thanks, Pep.”

 

“It reminded me of you,” she added. “Deep down, you’re just a rubber duck.”

 

“What does that even mean?” he asked, mystified. 

 

It was no use asking; Pepper had already fallen asleep on his shoulder. Tony put the duck in his pocket and picked his girlfriend up. She’d kill him if she woke up on the sofa. Still chuckling, Tony walked them both to the bedroom for some well-deserved sleep. Coding (and rubber ducks) could wait until the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> in IT, coders often have a rubber duck (or other inanimate object) that, when they get stuck, they explain their code line by line to- tony definitely has several hundred ducks scattered around his lab and the r&d labs
> 
> come visit me on tumblr @imposter-human
> 
> comments and kudos make me smile


End file.
